The Car Connection Expert Review

I must admit my high school German is a bit rusty, but unless
I’ve really lost the language, Volkswagen translates into “people’s car.” The
original Beetle, designed to put pre-war Germany on wheels, was the ultimate
example of that. So how to explain what’s happening at VW these days?

Review continues below

As a company, no carmaker owns more
luxury brands than Volkswagen AG. There’s Audi, of course, as well as
Lamborghini, Bugatti and Bentley. But even the VW marque itself is moving
markedly upscale. At the recent Geneva Motor Show, the automaker lifted the
wraps off the all-new Phaeton, a $70,000 sedan with all the trappings of a true
luxury car. Yet for those, like myself, who grew up in the days when a
moderately well-equipped Beetle could be had for $2000, there’s a bit of a
disconnect.

And so it was, with more than a bit of
skepticism, that TheCarConnection accepted the invitation to test drive the new
W-8-powered version of the Passat sedan. It will serve as a sort of up-market
trailblazer for the Phaeton, which doesn’t reach U.S. shores until next
year.

Future reputations
staked

There was more than a bit of
uncertainty when the original Passat hit market, larger and, at about $20,000,
far more expensive than anything the automaker had ever offered before.
Successive generations have served to demonstrate the tremendous changes
underway at the German automaker. The Passat has grown larger, more lavish and
notably more refined. For its price, the sedan has become a benchmark for
interior design.

2003 Volkswagen Passat

Page 2

But Passat still doesn’t play in the
same league as other German models, such as the Audi A4 or BMW 3-Series. With
the introduction of the W8, perceptions may change.

VW's unusual W-8 engine debuts in the 2003 Passat.

photo by Brenda Priddy

If you think you’ve spotted a typo,
you’re wrong. Unlike a conventional engine, VW has arranged the eight cylinders
in a W-like configuration. The engine’s architecture isn’t as inherently smooth
as a vee design, so it requires a pair of counter-rotating balance shafts. But
it has more than enough offsetting advantages, including reduced emissions and
improved fuel economy. One of the key pluses is engine size: The new powerplant
is small enough to fit into the Passat without requiring a massive retooling of
the platform.

The 4.0-liter version in the Passat is
reasonably torquey and puts out a solid, if not segment-leading, 270 horsepower.
Best of all, Volkswagen actually took the time to tweak the powertrain package
for the American market. The Passat W8 introduced in Europe last year was
“designed for the left lane of the autobahn,” says VW’s U.S. technical chief,
Stefan Krebsfanger. Revised for American roads, the new model is governed out
with a top speed of “only” 130 mph. But it’s likely to surprise the folks
sitting next to you at a stoplight when you slam the accelerator. VW claims a
0-60 time of 6.5 seconds.

Getting
ahead

But we’re getting a bit ahead of
ourselves. Initial impressions are modest. If you’re already familiar with the
basic Passat, you might not notice much of a difference, other than the W8
badge. Looks can be deceiving. With the top-line version of the sedan priced at
$37,900, Volkswagen has decided, in the words of one manager, to offer “power
everything.” The Passat W8 comes standard with the 4Motion all-wheel-drive
system, a manually-shifting Tiptronic five-speed automatic, bi-xenon headlamps,
16-inch alloy wheels, memory-sensing wipers, a sunroof, a 200-watt Monsoon sound
system, eight-way power seats including a memory driver’s seat, and a
commendable safety package. That includes front, side and curtain
airbags.

Review continues below

2003 Volkswagen Passat

Page 3

2003 Volkswagen Passat W8

A wagon version is on its way by
mid-year, at $38,700, and shortly afterwards, a Sport Package. The latter will
offer 17-inch wheels and an optional (at no extra cost) six-speed manual
gearbox.

We spent the day driving along the
northern California coast in a titanium W-8 sedan. On open roads, it proved
quick and responsive. But the car really showed its stuff as we took it off the
coast and onto the winding roads leading through redwood country.

The new version of the Passat feels
ever so slightly nose heavy, not surprising since the sedan was originally
designed for a much smaller, lighter powertrain. But this slight imbalance is
quickly forgiven and forgotten. Steering is tight and nimble and while this
isn’t a BMW, VW engineers have done a credible job of borrowing some of the
better attributes of their cross-country rival. We aggressively flogged the
Passat through some seriously challenging roads with only the occasional tire
squeal.

The Passat W8 may still be the
people’s car. It’s just that it’s been designed for people who like to have a
lot of fun and luxury in the cars they drive.

As noted earlier, Volkswagen sets the
benchmark for delivering luxury levels of interior refinement at a mainstream
price. The W8 bumps that up a notch. The one thing we’d have liked with this
version would have been a bit more room in the back seat. There’s a stretch
version sold in China, oddly enough, but VW chose not to bring that longer
wheelbase into the United States.

During a background presentation on
the Passat W8, VW officials expressed their hopes that the new sedan might draw
in buyers who would otherwise opt for more expensive German imports. It’s
interesting to note that while they pointed to BMW and Mercedes-Benz, they
notably excluded VW’s main upmarket brand, Audi. Ostensibly, that’s because VW
and Audi buyers seldom cross-shop the two brands. Maybe they haven’t before, but
we’d be surprised if they don’t reconsider their options now. And the lines will
become even more blurred when the Phaeton hits the
road.

To our surprise, VW currently plans to
import only about 5000 W8s annually, or barely 5 percent of total Passat sales
in the U.S. We’ll lay wager that the numbers grow once buyers get a taste of the
car. For the money, it’s a lavish and inviting package. And it clearly redefines
what Volkswagen translates into.